On February 9, 2005, Health Canada suspended the marketing of Adderall XR (Shire), a mixture of amphetamine salts used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (Med Lett Drugs Ther 1994; 36:109). The immediate-release form of Adderall was never marketed in Canada. The withdrawal was based on 20 reports internationally of sudden death in patients taking the drug. These deaths, 14 of them in children, were not linked to overdose or abuse. The FDA decided that the number of sudden deaths was no greater than expected among the large number of people taking the drug, but because 5...

The short-acting formulation of mixed amphetamine salts (Adderall, and generics) FDA-approved for treatment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy, is currently in short supply in the US. Until an adequate supply is restored, patients may be looking for alternatives.

A drug that combines the neutral sulfate salts of dextroamphetamine and racemic amphetamine with the dextro isomer of amphetamine saccharate and d,l amphetamine aspartate (Adderall - Richwood Pharmaceutical) has recently been promoted for treatment of children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). This same mixture of amphetamine salts was previously marketed as Obetrol for treatment of obesity.

The FDA has approved an extended-release oral suspension formulation of amphetamine (Adzenys ER – Neos) for treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in patients ≥6 years old. The same extended-release amphetamine product is available as an orally disintegrating tablet and is marketed as Adzenys XR-ODT. Another extended-release oral suspension formulation of amphetamine, Dyanavel XR, was approved earlier.

Two new extended-release amphetamine products have been approved by the FDA for once-daily treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in patients ≥6 years old: Adzenys XR-ODT (Neos Therapeutics), an orally distintegrating tablet, and Dyanavel XR (Tris Pharma), an oral suspension.

Methylphenidate is now available in a new extended-release formulation (Metadate CD - Celltech) for treatment of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The new product, which is a Schedule II controlled substance, is being advertised directly to consumers.

The American Heart Association (AHA) recently published a statement saying that it would be reasonable to obtain an electrocardiogram (ECG) in children being evaluated for stimulant drug therapy for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). A subsequent news release in conjunction with the American Academy of Pediatrics provided a clarification, saying that it would be reasonable to consider obtaining an ECG in such children.

Methylphenidate (Ritalin, and others) is now available in a new extended-release formulation (Concerta--Alza) for treatment of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Atomoxetine (Strattera - Lilly) is the first non-stimulant drug to be approved by the FDA for treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Unlike other drugs approved for use in ADHD, it is not a controlled substance and is approved for use in adults as well as children. Older non-stimulant drugs that have been used to treat ADHD, although not FDA-approved, include the alpha₂-agonist clonidine (Catapres, and others) and the tricyclic antidepressant desipramine (Norpramin, and others) (Medical Letter 1996; 38:109).

The FDA has approved racemic amphetamine sulfate (Evekeo – Arbor) for oral treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children ≥3 years old. It was also approved for treatment of narcolepsy in patients ≥6 years old and for short-term treatment of obesity in patients ≥12 years old.